When commercial buildings are constructed, the floors are often completed before the exterior walls are installed. After the building frame is erected, the floors are supported by attachment to the various members of the building frame. The exterior walls are then attached to the floors which in turn provide support and stability to the walls.
The floors are typically a pan made of a corrugated steel deck with steel sidewalls. Concrete is poured into this pan to complete the floor. To connect the exterior wall steel studs to a floor, a worker kneels along the edge of the floor; measures and marks the steel stud locations along the vertical face of the floor sidewall; welds steel angle brackets to the floor sidewall at each mark; then welds steel studs to the steel angle brackets. This is backbreaking work because one must lean over the edge of the floor to complete the weld. Often the marks are in the wrong place, resulting in steel angle brackets and steel studs that have to be removed and re-welded to the correct placement.
A tool to aid in the proper placement and spacing of steel angle brackets and steel studs is needed. The tool should facilitate quick and secure attachment of the tool to the building structure assuring proper placement of a number of steel angle brackets and steel studs. It also must be quick and easy to release the tool from the building structure and reposition the tool for installation of the next group of steel angle brackets and steel studs. When in use the tool should hold the steel angle brackets and steel studs securely in position for attachment.